The old saying is “April showers bring May flowers”, but April also brings spring football to a close across the country. For fans of the Houston Cougars that means the final chance to see the changes new head coach Tom Herman is bringing to campus.
If you were looking for fireworks during the Cougars’ spring game, you came away disappointed. Neither side had a lot of success on offense (there were 11 punts), and there was no high-octane offense to be found.
That being said, Hermann just got his hooks into this team, and you have to give the staff more than 15 practices before you jump to any conclusions.
With that, let’s take a look at some of the players you should keep an eye on over the next couple months and into fall camp.
The Quarterbacks: We’ll start with the obvious. Greg Ward, Jr. was the starter at the end of last year and didn’t seem to do anything this spring to lose it. In the spring game Ward was 13-for-17 passing with an interception. He also ran the ball 14 times (but only for 27 yards). Ward has the distinct disadvantage of having to completely switch systems. Utah transfer Adam Schulz was 11-for-19 throwing the ball with fewer yards than Ward. This will be a battle right up until September. Two-quarterback systems rarely work, so it would be wise for Herman to name and stick with a starter sooner than later.
Young Wide Receivers: Deontay Greenbery is gone. While he wasn’t drafted, the Cougars’ biggest receiving star from 2014 was signed by the Dallas Cowboys. During spring ball we took a look at who is going to catch the ball in Houston in 2015. One of those names was Chance Allen. He is a Texas native and transferred to Houston from Oregon. Allen led the Coogs in receiving in the spring game; hauling in six passes. But there are two other names to watch, simply based on their spring game performance. Steven Dunbar is a sophomore who saw quite a bit of action as a freshman including a start at Cincinnati. He had five catches for a game-high 52 yards. Redshirt freshman Isaiah Johnson was targeted several times, catching three passes. He is a whopping six-foot-three and has a lot of potential, especially in red zone situations. Another name to keep in mind is sophomore Linell Bonner.
Hayden Daniels: I’ll wait while you dig out your roster… Hayden Daniels is a tight end who caught a pass in the spring game. One catch. For eight yards. So why on Earth is he on this list? Tom Hermann made it a point to say he wants to utilize the tight end in Houston. His predecessor didn’t, as evidence of Daniels only playing in four games last season. This isn’t to say Daniels is suddenly going to be a superstar, but there are only three tight ends on the roster (Corey Manges and Byron Simpson) and someone is going to have to catch on to Hermann’s system.
Linebackers: This is one position where the Cougars will have to replace a lot of production. Efrem Oliphant was the team’s leading tackler a year ago. Derrick Matthews, who only played six games in 2014 before getting hurt, is also gone. Two leaders and good players who need to be replaced. The first player to look at is Steven Taylor. Luckily he’s a known entity; starting 10 games in 2014 and was number two in tackles. Taylor led the way for the red team during the spring game. Inside linebacker Luke Stice also had a good spring game (4 tackles and a sack). He is a senior, but didn’t start a game last season. Other possibilities to rise up include JUCO transfer Rasheed Tynes and sophomore ILB D’Juan Hines. The linebacker position, as a whole, is one to watch because of the lack of experience. Taylor is the anchor, but after that it could be a free-for-all.
Those are just a few names to keep an eye on as the heat of the Houston summer starts to wear on you. Watch for more in-depth position breakdowns as we get closer to the September 5th opener against Tennessee Tech.
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